By Matthew Holloway |
A Tucson man charged with threatening to bomb the White House also allegedly sent an earlier message threatening an anthrax attack in Tucson. The message also threatened a bombing at a federal building, according to reporting on the federal criminal complaint.
Jacob Aaron Hicks, 46, was arrested on Oct. 7 and charged with making an interstate threat to injure. He made his initial appearance in federal court on Oct. 8.
The investigation began after Tucson television station KGUN9 received an email Sept. 23 threatening an imminent attack against the White House and other Washington, D.C., locations. The station said it forwarded the message to authorities. The FBI confirmed to KGUN9 that its referral prompted the investigation.
The email claimed an attack would occur within 12 hours and that bombs were positioned around Washington.
“Be advised. In 12 hours, there’ll be a strike against the White House. There’s bombs all around Washington D.C. This is not a joke. Be advised. You Americans will pay. Allah, to Allah,” a portion of the email read.
Hicks claimed he had loaned his phone to a homeless person when the email was sent.
Federal investigators identified Hicks as the alleged sender and located additional unsent drafts in the same email account, prosecutors said. Those drafts, also dated Sept. 23, were addressed to other news organizations and contained similar threats against the White House and surrounding areas.
The investigation also uncovered a Sept. 2 text message allegedly sent by Hicks to a Tucson-area number. The message threatened an anthrax attack against Tucson, claimed possession of C4 for a federal-building bombing, and specified Sept. 11, 2026, at 5 a.m.
The Justice Department did not report the discovery of explosives or anthrax.
Investigators also identified earlier threats Hicks allegedly made while living in New York against the Wayne County Department of Social Services. Authorities there reportedly visited his address and warned that further threatening contact could result in charges. The account did not identify a conviction stemming from those earlier incidents.
“We must take threats of violence like this one seriously,” U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine said.
“I am grateful to our local news station for referring this threat to law enforcement, and to the FBI for addressing the situation quickly, professionally, and with the level of commitment it required.”
The FBI is conducting the investigation with assistance from the U.S. Secret Service. Federal prosecutors in Tucson are handling the case.
The Justice Department identified the prosecution as part of the National Security Presidential Memorandum 7 initiative, describing it as a White House-directed interagency effort addressing political violence while protecting First Amendment rights. The department said Joint Task Force Vanguard leads the initiative.
“The FBI remains steadfast in its mission to defend the United States against criminal and national security threats and will investigate them to the fullest extent of the law. We appreciate the community partner who reported the threat to law enforcement,” FBI Phoenix Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Day said. “Cooperation and partnership are essential to protecting the American people.”
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
